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Comments

• [1] michael winslow from INWOOD February 29, 2008 - 10:07AM

  It's a shame these guys were killed by police who were more than likely drunk and who over reacted.

  When police are shooting so wildly they almost kill people getting on the Air Tran several blocks away there is something very wrong with our police.

  It doesn't matter if the police were defending themselves because you can make an arrest and put civilians in extreme danger by shooting 50 bullets wildly.

  
  
• [2] Shirley Mast from upper east side February 29, 2008 - 10:13AM

  Which one of us has NOT been out in a club at 4 a.m. and not gotten into a heated argument where one of us has intimimated that we have a gun in a club being investigated for prostitution drug dealing and gun possesion? I think we all know about exactly how these things go. Right?

  
  
• [3] BORED February 29, 2008 - 10:13AM

  This reminds me of watching a basketball game with fans of the two teams.

  
  
• [4] Steven February 29, 2008 - 10:14AM

  I have found Mr Venugopal's coverage of the Sean Bell trial to be extremely troublesome. I have been surprised by his descriptions and personal comments about the witnesses. He seems to be supporting the defense position in his coverage. His comments seem more appropriate for Court TV or Nancy Grace styled pundit. His coverage sounds very biased culturally biased. Listen to the way he mentions transcripts from the trial, 'slang terms for guns'. I was really shocked by his description of the former dancer. I think Venugoapal is the wrong person to cover this story. Completely inappropriate.

  
  
• [5] Lack from Queens February 29, 2008 - 10:14AM

  I like Brian's comment after only 23 seconds of segment after Arun describes the "dangereous atmosphere" as background for his piece. "Sure, atmosphere is one thing, but evidence is another..." Who asked Brian? What's he answering his own questions now? His bias within seconds comes out. This is not journalism.

  
  
• [6] Bob from Brooklyn February 29, 2008 - 10:16AM

  Danger as experienced by cops is not pretty, and if the minority community wants to do things like yell and shout and scream and resist as arrests are made, things are going to happen in that situation that don't normally happen. In a white middle class neighborhood,people don't go beserk in the middle of the night while cops are trying to do their jobs.

  
  
• [7] BORED February 29, 2008 - 10:17AM

  "That was a foul" "No it wasn't"

  
  
• [8] Furgrove Chadley from Mahattan February 29, 2008 - 10:23AM

  What exactly if you dont mind me asking sir, was a foul, no one is watching you listen to the radio so we don't quite understand where your objections are pointing.

  
  
• [9] Steven February 29, 2008 - 10:23AM

  Mr. Venugopal's description of the former dancer's testimony is amazing. His cultural bias is dumbfounding. Why is this man covering this story for WNYC? I am definitely writing WNYC.

  
  
• [10] Chestine from Westchester February 29, 2008 - 10:24AM

  What's with the 4 am trips to nightclubs doesnt anyone go to the movies anymore and go to sleep at 10?

  
  
• [11] SM February 29, 2008 - 10:26AM

  If several men --not in uniform--approached my car in the early morning hour, without identifying themselves...my first reaction would be to start the car and get the heck out of there..running them over if I have to.

  Mr Bob--white neighborhood--how would you behave if some strange, menacing, unidentified men approached you. Invite them to tea..or run for your life

  
  
• [12] Bob from Brooklyn February 29, 2008 - 10:31AM

  "SM" if your first reaction to a police investigation is to run into your car put the thing into drive and run over the cops who are questioning you, then I suggest you put your hands up in front of your face pretty quick to catch the 52 bullets that are about to come your way. Most people would probably just talk to the cops.

  
  
• [13] San. Mguwar from Queens February 29, 2008 - 10:32AM

  Steven I happen to know that Arun is culturally aware, how utterly condescending of you to suggest otherwise. You see other stations hiring reporters called ARun Venogapal? I don't think so.

  
  
• [14] Lisa from New Jersey February 29, 2008 - 10:34AM

  What's all the furor about? Its a POLICE investigation.

  
  
• [15] francyne from nyc February 29, 2008 - 10:43AM

  Also bored!

  Sean Bell was clearly in the wrong place at the wrong time and in the wrong condition.

  He brought his media-fueled victimhood on himself.

  He was about to legitimize his children after so many years after their births; he should have been home not at a known den of drugs and prostitution.

  And as for Arun Venegapal's description of the stripper, I can only refer reader's to the photo in Wednesday's Metro Section of the NYT. Someone would have to be very drunk to buy that person a $20 drink! Money that should have been spent on the illegitimate children.

  
  
• [16] Steven February 29, 2008 - 10:46AM

  San. Mguwar,

  It doesn't matter to me his name or background. My issue is with his biased reporting, please see post #5. I listened to each of Mr. Venugopal's reports of the trial and his comments have been culturally insensitive. You may say he is culturally aware but his comments suggest otherwise.

  I think my making a judgment about reporting is not condescending. I think it is a fair comment that as a reporter Mr. Venugopal shouldn't inject his subjective insights. I think it colors the coverage of an already heightened issue. As for his being hired by WNYC, it should be for his solid reporting not his last name. It is problematic to defend or support a reporter largely based upon their ethnicity, culture or race, which your comment seems to be doing.

  
  
• [17] James Brownski February 29, 2008 - 11:12AM

  The internet for racists is like those secret public bathrooms where homosexual go to hook up. A lot of closeted bigots expose their true colors behind the world wide veil of anonymity.

  The truth will never be known. At this point jail time is not the issue, we need these cops to lose their job and send a message that hack policing will not be tolerated. 50 shots unanswered, with stray bullets hitting the damn AirTran... No matter how you slice it, thats poor job performance and cannot be tolerated.

  
  
• [18] SM February 29, 2008 - 04:38PM

  Bob,

  They were not in uniform and never identified themselves...just listen to the trial and learn something. Just a bunch of unidentified men...no shields...no id...no nothing

  SM

  
  
• [19] SM February 29, 2008 - 04:40PM

  Unfortunately..lots of men who are about to be married go to strip bars, have batchelor parties, go on drunken binges. Do I approve? well no. Is it a criminal act? Well no.

  
  
• [20] James from New York March 01, 2008 - 01:33AM

  Rule number 1 - if u are one of the MANY people who always try to get out of jury duty service (yes, I AM aware that there is NOT a jury in this case), then refrain from mouthing off about these media events/trials. One CANNOT possibly have anything useful to say about a trial if one is not in the courtroom throughout ALL of the proceedings & paying VERY careful attention to them. All of the babbling by the public (& media fops) about such trials is just that - babbling. And usually, biased, inflamatory, political babbling at that. The time might be better spent discussing why so many of our young never get anything like a real education & consequently never have anything like a real prospect for a life of self-sufficiency & fulfillment far from routine encounters with the police. Let's stop obsessing on these media circuses & spend what limited amount of time we may wish to devote to public affairs by focusing on & solving the social deficiencies which ensure the inevitable repetition of such incidents that will arise from those deficiencies.

  
  
• [21] rickson March 04, 2008 - 01:49PM

  Fact: this is not a biased, race incident as the many anti-police rant about. Fact: the Kalua club was being investigated and is a drug and prostitute prone location. Fact: the ingredients for illegal activity was more then prevalent given previous investigations and arrests made at said location. Fact: an undercover police officer heard the imminent threat of a firearm, just the mere threat itself doesn't mean cops should dismiss this as harmless banter given the above facts mentioned. Fact: the undercover is forced to come out and expose himself, which they are never suppose to do unless imminent danger is likely. Fact: with all the ingredients in the mixer and the fact that sean bell and his crew refused officers' instructions, puts cops in fear for their lives. Fact: this isn't a murder of any level, but a tragedy precipitated by mr. bell and his crew